Cast Iron Skillet Big Flavors (18 page)

STEAK AND GUINNESS PIE

SEARED RIB-EYE WITH TRUFFLE BUTTER AND ROGUE RIVER SMOKED BLUE CHEESE

TAMARIND-GLAZED CRAB

LAMB CHOPS WITH CHIMICHURRI SAUCE

CARAMELIZED FENNEL, SHALLOT, AND PEAR UPSIDE-DOWN TART

GOLDEN CURRY CAULIFLOWER

PEACH BLUEBERRY CORNMEAL COBBLER

SPICY APPLE CAKE

lemon chicken sofrito

Sofrito, which means “lightly fried,” is a favorite cooking base for many dishes in Spanish cuisine; it’s a sautéed vegetable mixture used as a sauce. For another variation you can add diced tomatoes. We have added garam masala because we like the flavor it adds to this dish. The chicken gets golden brown (but stays moist and tender) in the skillet, and the lemon juice and olives blend together to add zest to the dish.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

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  Preheat the oven to 375°F.

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  To prepare the sofrito, in a 10- or 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat, warm 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the onions, garlic, and bell pepper and sauté briefly. Add the lemon juice and wine and simmer for 3 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl.

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  In a medium bowl, toss the olives and artichokes with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil.

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  Clean the skillet, then warm it over medium heat and add the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil. Brown the chicken on both sides. Sprinkle with the garam masala, salt, and pepper. Spoon the sofrito over the chicken, then scatter the olives and artichoke hearts into the skillet and bake, uncovered, for 25 minutes. Add the lemon wedges, and bake for 15 minutes more. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided

¾ cup chopped yellow onion

1 tablespoon minced garlic

¾ cup diced red bell pepper

Freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon

½ cup dry white wine

3 chicken breasts, skin on, bone in, cut in half crosswise

1 teaspoon Garam Masala (see page 56)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

8 to 10 pimiento-stuffed jumbo green olives

1 (8-ounce) package frozen (thawed) artichoke hearts

1 lemon, cut in half lengthwise, sliced into six ½-inch wedges

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves, for garnish

salty, sweet, and spicy flank steak

We love flank steak on the barbecue, but on rainy days when cooking outdoors just doesn’t sound inviting, we cut up a flank steak and take advantage of the cast iron skillet. The meat gets nice and crispy all over, with a juicy, flavorful interior. It’s also delicious the next day, cold on a salad or wrapped up in a tortilla with your favorite salsa, thinly sliced iceberg lettuce, cilantro, and avocado. Our families love a creamy avocado-cilantro sauce drizzled over the top.

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

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  Prepare the marinade: In a medium bowl, combine the honey and hot water to form a thin liquid. Add the soy sauce, garlic, vinegar, garam masala, minced ginger, pepper flakes, cornstarch, and canola and sesame oils, and mix well.

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  Put the steak in a nonreactive bowl or large zip-locking bag with the marinade and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.

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  When ready to cook the steak, place a strainer in the sink and drain off the marinade. Put the steak in a bowl. In a cast iron skillet over medium-heat, add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and the ginger slices and heat until the ginger gives off fragrance and the oil starts to sputter. Add the steak, making sure not to crowd the pan, and cook for 2 minutes. Stir or flip the steaks with tongs and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the rest of the steak, using 2 more tablespoons of oil for each batch. Add the carrots to the skillet and toss, then return the cooked steak to the skillet and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the scallions. Serve hot with rice and Creamy Avocado-Cilantro Sauce.

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons hot water

¼ cup soy sauce

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons black rice wine vinegar or Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon Garam Masala (see page 56)

2 teaspoons fresh ginger, peeled and minced, or 1 teaspoon ginger paste

¼ teaspoon crushed hot pepper flakes

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 tablespoons canola or other vegetable oil

1 teaspoon light or dark sesame oil (optional)

1½ pounds flank steak, cut across the grain into ½-by-3-inch slices